Now, farmers on both sides of the Tennessee River are preparing to spray numerous soybean fields for this pest for the first time since 1988.

Densities of soybean loopers at the Fairhope Research station across the bay from Mobile were an average of 8 per sweep (all sizes) in test plots that were averaging an estimated 10 to 15 percent defoliation when an insecticide was applied on Aug. 7. Eight days later defoliation in untreated plots ranged from 25 to 40 percent.

Farmers in the Tennessee Valley found as many as 3 loopers per sweep last week and defoliation levels are steadily heading toward the 20 percent threshold level in many fields.

Farmers in north Alabama west of I-65 are watching the weather, hoping that they can find an opportune time to spray the loopers during a projected 5 day period of scattered showers.

Most of the soybeans in the Tennessee Valley were planted behind wheat and yield potential is presently good. These later planted soybeans are mostly in the R4 to R5 stage of development and need another good rain to produce a strong yield.

One such field that is being monitored in Franklin county was running one looper per sweep on Aug. 25 and had 5 percent defoliation. This field had 2 loopers per sweep (all sizes) on Aug. 30 and 10 percent defoliation.

A few loopers had pupated in the field and had attached themselves with silk to the undersides of leaves. No diseased worms were observed while sampling.

Stink bugs are also present in these fields, but numbers are mostly below the threshold of 2 per 15 sweeps from bloom to mid-pod fill and 3 per 15 sweeps after mid-pod.

Three-cornered alfalfa hopper (3-CAH) numbers are usually running from less than one to two per sweep.

Pod worm numbers are very low in most fields.

Chemicals currently listed in the Extension Soybean IPM guide for soybean looper control are Belt 4SC, Intrepid 2F, Steward 1.25 SC and Tracer 4 SC. None of these products will control stink bugs or 3-CAH’s.

Belt, Steward and Tracer are labeled for control of pod worms in soybeans.

Hopefully, one application will be sufficient this year to manage soybean loopers, but growers should continue to monitor fields following looper sprays to insure that populations do not rebound.